


i love you a latte

by runandhides



Category: Girl Meets World
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Artist!Maya, F/M, Family, Fluff, Marriage, Pregnancy, i don't even know what this is, lots of fluff, lucaya - Freeform, riarkle - mentioned, vet!lucas
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-05
Updated: 2017-04-15
Packaged: 2018-08-19 17:53:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8219858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runandhides/pseuds/runandhides
Summary: "You know, when we found out I was pregnant it was really unexpected, and I didn't get to enjoy my last latte like I would have if I had known it was the last one I would have for 9 whole months." or Maya is pregnant and just really wants a latte.





	1. compromise

**Author's Note:**

> hi! so this is the first fic i have ever written. i started posting them on ffnet a few days ago under the same username. i have several chapters written- they aren't chronological, but so far they have all been written in this same universe. like i said, i'm super new to this so if you have any suggestions, advice, etc I'd love to hear it! Also, let me know if you have any prompt ideas. I hope you enjoy this!

"Huckleberry please?" Maya begged, already knowing Lucas' answer was going to remain the same, but asking anyway. She was almost five months pregnant and desperate for a latte.

"Maya, you know what the doctor said, babe. Caffeine can stunt the baby's growth. And not to point out the obvious, but she's already getting your shortstack genes. We wouldn't want to do anything stunt her anymore." he teased with a grin.

Maya reached over the side of the table and hit him jokingly on the arm. She then got up and walked to his chair at the table and curled up in his lap and rested her head on his chest.

"Lucas, what if I told you that your child wants a latte more than anything? We can't just brush aside these cravings. I want what she wants and right now she is screaming for some coffee."

Lucas thought about it for a minute and he knew he was starting to fall under her spell.

"Babe, I can make you some decaf if you'd like? We can fix it up how you drink your regular coffee and you won't even know the difference."

Maya lifted her head and looked at Lucas with her best sad puppy dog eyes and shook her head. She wanted the real stuff.

"You know, when we found out I was pregnant it was really unexpected, and I didn't get to enjoy my last latte like I would have if I had known it was the last one I would have for 9 whole months." 

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she continued "I haven't had anything bad for me in like four and a half months and I really don't think that a couple shots of espresso and some milk will hurt me or the baby. Please, Hopalong?" she pleaded, keeping his gaze and preparing for the final part of her side of the argument. 

"If not for me, then for your precious child inside me who kept me up half the night kicking me in the ribs while you slept peacefully beside me?" Maya was playing dirty and she knew it, but she needed to make Lucas cave.

"You know, Shortstack, I think the baby is causing you to go a little soft on me. Pre-pregnancy Maya would have already gone to get the coffee whether or not I thought it was a good idea." He brushed some hair behind her ear and grinned at her. Maya rolled her eyes and looked at him, knowing he had more to say.

"I think you know it's a bad idea and you just want me to agree so you can blame me if something goes wrong." Lucas smirked at her, knowing he just figured out her entire game.

Maya pouted at him and laid her head back on his chest and grumbled "I'm just so tired, Huckleberry. And even though I'm only halfway through the pregnancy, I'm basically all baby because I'm so small and it's uncomfortable. I'm so excited we are having a baby, but pregnancy is hard and it makes me moody and achy and hungry and sappy and it's ruining my street cred around here."

Lucas chuckled and wrapped his arms around his wife the best he could with her baby bump coming in between them, pressed a kiss to her temple and rubbed her back. He knew that she just needed to know he was there and not going anywhere. He also wanted to soak in this rare moment of weakness and enjoy feeling needed.

"Okay, let's compromise. Why don't we get you set up on the couch with some blankets and your favorite show so you can maybe nap and get some rest and I will go get us some drinks. Then we can stay in tonight and watch movies and order whatever takeout you want?"

He really did feel bad that she was going through all of this for them, and wanted to make sure she knew that he would do anything to make her happy. Maya felt a familiar flutter in her stomach that she recognized as the feeling she gets when Lucas reminds her exactly why she said yes to him all those years ago.

Maya leaned forward and kissed him softly in response, conveying all the love and appreciation she felt in that moment. "Thanks, baby daddy" she said with a grin. Lucas rolled his eyes, scooped her up bridal style and carried her over to the couch, where he got her situated with pillows, blankets and Netflix.

When Lucas left in search of coffee, Maya took a moment to let herself feel really lucky that this was her life.

The next thing she knew, she felt a touch on her arm and the faint calling of her name. She opened her eyes to find Lucas was back with two drink trays filled with different coffee options and some snacks too.

"You are such a Huckleberry." she teased as he set the trays on the coffee table, but she knew her eyes were giving away all the love she felt for him in that moment.  
Lucas smiled and began to explain, "Okay, so I went to all the coffee shops within a 4 block radius of our apartment and told them to make me the best decaf drink they could and gave them your usual milk and flavor preferences. I know you wanted a full caf latte, but you just had a little nap, so maybe that combined with the taste of coffee will trick your body into thinking you actually had one?" he squinted a little, unsure of what her response would be.

That was both the dumbest and sweetest thing she has ever heard and she couldn't help but smile in response.

"Babe, you went to 4 different coffee shops just to try and find me the decaf drink that made me feel the most like I was drinking fully caffeinated coffee?" Maya had tears in her eyes- damn hormones- and reached her hands out towards her husband to get him to come sit with her. Lucas helped her sit up so he could sit at the end of the couch next to her. They spent the rest of the afternoon sampling and ranking the coffee drinks, cat napping and cuddling while catching up on the shows and movies in their Netflix queue.

Even though the coffee debate itself was silly (she blames the hormones), Maya couldn't help but be touched by the fact that Lucas tried so hard to get her something she liked that wouldn't affect the baby. As she sat there playing with Lucas' fingers while he napped next to her, she started thinking about how happy she was in this season of her life. It took her a really long time to accept that she deserved to be loved by someone who was good and trust that they would stay no matter what. In that moment she was grateful as hell that her favorite neighborhood Huckleberry was the one who made her believe it.

She whispered "I love you" in his ear and kissed each of his fingers before draping his arm around her waist and snuggling back into him, content to nap with him until the baby insisted it was time for dinner.


	2. this is it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i decided to go ahead and upload 2 chapters today, since i already have 4 posted on ffnet. :) after mentioning Maya and Lucas finding out she was pregnant unexpectedly in the last chapter, I really wanted to write about that happening. So, here it is! It's quite a bit longer than the first. Once again, let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions or prompt ideas- whether it be in this universe or a different one! Also- just a heads up- this chapter mentions an eating disorder, but it's only mentioned once and it's a misunderstanding. Just wanted to mention it in case of triggers.

Maya Hart has always been a big fan of breakfast. Ever since her middle school days of Topanga Matthews forcing her and Riley to eat breakfast before going to school every morning, the meal has always held a special place in her heart. That's why Maya wokeup extra excited that she had the morning off, because that meant she got to meet Riley for their bi-weekly breakfast date at Topanga's to stay caught up on each other's crazy  
postgrad lives. She snuck around the room quietly, trying not to wake her sleeping husband, who also happened to have a later shift at the vet clinic that day.

Maya's art had been discovered while she was a student at NYU a few years back. She was able to finish her degree with the promise of a job at a gallery that would in turn house and sell her pieces. It was her dream job and she couldn't be happier that this part of her life went the way she always hoped it would.

When Maya finished applying her final touches of makeup, she grabbed her shoes, kissed Lucas on the temple and left a note on their bedside table reminding him that she would be back in time for their lunch date. Once Maya stopped rushing around, she realized she felt kind of funny. She shrugged it off as extreme hunger and excitement for the breakfast she was about to eat, grabbed a water bottle from the fridge and headed out the door.

When Maya arrived at Topangas's a few minutes later the funny feeling hadn't dissipated….in fact it was exacerbated by the sweet smell of the bakery. This was entirely confusing to Maya because normally this was her favorite smell in the world, aside from the smell of Lucas' famous cookies baking in the over. She took a moment to deep breathe until she spotted her perky best friend on the other side of the café. Riley got up from her spot and bounded over to Maya exclaiming "PEACHES!" Maya rolled her eyes at the age old nickname and reached out to hug her best friend. "Hi honey, how is everything going?" Maya asked, trying to ignore the weird sick feeling slowly starting to take over. Riley chattered on about what was happening in school- she was currently in the process of getting her Master's degree at Columbia. Maya did her best to listen intently and sip her water that she brought from home, but her nausea was increasing by the second. Luckily, Riley was so excited about seeing her and telling her about her latest breakthrough with a professor that she didn't notice that her best friend was a little green. When Riley suggested they order their usual muffin and scone, Maya did her best to feign enthusiasm, claiming she was famished. Riley thought Maya was being a little weird, but shrugged it off and got up to order. As soon as she left, Maya sent a quick text to Lucas to see if he was feeling okay. Maybe it was the new Mexican restaurant they ate at last night.

To: Huckleberry  
Hey babe, are you feeling okay this morning?

Lucas replied almost instantly.

To: Shortstack  
I just woke up, but I feel fine. Wait, you're texting me while you're with Riley? What's wrong?

At this point, Maya was completely baffled and insanely nauseous. She texted Lucas back really quickly.

To: Huckleberry  
She got up to order breakfast, don't worry. I'm okay. Just feel a little funny and wondered if it had to do with the new restaurant we ate at last night. I'll text you when I'm headed back home. Love you.

She tried to end the conversation so that he wouldn't worry, and resumed racking her brain about what could be making her feel this way.

Riley came back with the muffin and scone. It was their ritual to each get one and then share them. "Maya! You will never believe our luck! Today is the first day the bakery is serving fall flavored baked goods! I got us a pumpkin scone and an apple cinnamon muffin! They also have seasonal lattes, so I thought we could get them to-go for our walk after we eat." Normally this sentence would have been music to Maya's ears, but today it was the final straw that caused her to give Riley a quick smile, get up and run to the restroom. After emptying the contents of her stomach, Maya splashed her face with cool water to try and return some color to her cheeks and rinsed her mouth out as well. She now felt completely fine and hoped that this sickness was just a weird fluke. Maya returned to the front of the café and apologized to Riley and explained that she hadn't been feeling great all morning, but she was good now. The girls caught up while eating their breakfast without incident.

When they were finished, Riley suggested that they order some maple lattes and do their usual walk to the halfway point between their two apartments. They got their coffees and started walking. Maya noticed Riley looking at her kind of funny and she turned to look at her.

"Is everything okay, Riles?" Maya suddenly felt uneasy again, but she didn't know if it was nerves or the nausea from earlier coming back for round two.

"Maya, what was that about earlier? Don't take this the wrong way, but are you struggling at all…with an eating disorder?"

Maya's eyes widened and she nearly spit out her coffee at the implication. She grabbed Riley's arm lightly and pulled her to sit on the bench nearby.

"Riley, you know I can out eat Lucas and he's over a foot taller than me. I promise I am fine. It was really weird, I just felt so nauseous all morning but after my little incident at Topanga's I felt better. I asked Lucas if he was okay because we ate at a new restaurant last night, but he said he is fine, so I really don't know what it was about" Maya shrugged, and stood up to continue their walk.

Riley stayed seated and touched her hand to indicate she wasn't ready to leave yet.  
"Maya, do you think maybe you're pregnant? I mean, you and Lucas have been married for a year now, and I know you said you two were talking about having kids…"

Maya's eyes widened and she sat down, looking at her best friend. She knew it was definitely a possibility. She had also been really moody over the past few weeks. She thought back to one night the week before when she cried when Lucas told her he had to stay at the vet clinic an extra hour so that he could observe a rare procedure that was running late. He apologized and told her he would bring them dinner home instead of going out to eat like they planned, and she lost it. She just wanted to see him since they both had to work early and didn't see each other that morning, right? There was also the time two weeks ago when she threw all of his clean clothes on the floor because he didn't move them to the dryer in a timely manner, but she attributed that to PMS…Wait…

"Oh my God, Riley I'm so late and you know I'm never late!"

The realization dawned on Maya and she wanted to laugh and cry at the same time. Sure, she and Lucas had talked about having kids someday, but they didn't mean this soon. Lucas was in his final year of vet school, doing rotations at the clinic. The good news was that the hardest part for him was over and now he was just working in the field and gaining experience before graduating and getting his license. Between both Maya's job at the gallery and the commissions from her paintings, she made a pretty good living that covered them well until Lucas would be able to contribute more once he was a fully licensed vet.

Riley smirked and got out her phone, showing Maya a screenshot from a text Lucas sent Farkle last week when Maya sent him out to get Doritos, shredded cheese and dill relish so she could make her own nacho concoction. He claimed it was her weirdest request yet.

"Not gonna lie, Peaches, ever since Farks showed me this text, I had my suspicions."  
Maya has always liked eclectic food choices, but upon reading the text she knew that was pushing it, even for her. In fact, reading it made her a little queasy again.

"Well, guess buying a test and potentially telling Huckeberry he's going to be a daddy is on the agenda for today." Maya stood up and held her hand out to her best friend so they could continue their walk. Riley put her arm around Maya's shoulders and talked her ear off (in a loving way) about how excited she was to finally be in this stage of their lives. She also wondered aloud if this would possibly increase the chances of Farkle finally popping the question, hoping Maya would take the bait and tell Lucas to pester him some more.

Maya smiled at her best friend and thought fondly of Riley's meddling tendencies, but her mind was a little distracted at the moment.

They quickly approached their halfway point and Maya promised to call Riley as soon as she could, but reminded her that they both had to work later and she had a certain Huckleberry to talk to so it might be awhile.

On the way home, Maya stopped in a bodega and purchased two pregnancy tests, just to be sure. She slipped the bag in her purse, and while walking home she tried to process how she felt in that moment. Scared, excited, a little nervous. When she was younger this wasn't something she ever expected to happen for her. She was cynical about love and thought hope was for suckers. Once Lucas came in the picture, with time and trust, her mind did a complete 180. She knew he was going to stay and she knew that she wanted him forever. Yes, this was earlier than they planned, but they were in a good place in their lives to be able to support and accommodate their schedules to raise a baby.

Maya arrived at the apartment and felt her nerves increasing, or maybe it was the nausea again. She wasn't really sure. Lucas was on his laptop sending some emails at the kitchen table and turned his head when she walked in.

"Shortstack! Hey babe, I was worried about you. How are you feeling?"

Maya walked over to him and hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his chest and resting her head on his shoulder.

"I'm feeling okay now, but I need to tell you something. It's kinda big, Luke."

Lucas turned to face her upon hearing the rarely used nickname and noticed how nervous she looked. He turned his chair slightly and reached his arms out, indicating he wanted her to come sit on his lap.

Maya, needing the comfort, gladly curled up on his lap, but remained upright so she could face him.

"Lucas, what would you say if I told you that I think I might possibly be pregnant?" Maya shut her eyes at the end of the question, a little nervous, but quickly peaked at him through her lashes to gauge his reaction.

Upon processing Maya's question, Lucas smiled really big, put his hands on her waist and turned her to fully face him.

"Babe, are you serious? Have you taken a test?" Lucas was so excited, but wanted to wait until they knew for sure to completely show it. After all, he didn't want her to feel like she let him down if it ended up being a false alarm.

Maya pointed to her purse and said "I got two on the way home, but I wanted to wait until I was with you to take them."

Lucas hugged her tightly, kissed her temple and whispered that if she was pregnant, it would be the best gift she could ever give him.

Maya had tears in her eyes when she leaned in to give him a quick kiss before getting up and retrieving the bag from her purse. Reaching out her hand she asked "are you ready, Huckleberry?"

Lucas eagerly got up and grabbed her hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked to their bedroom. Maya took both tests in to the restroom and came out several moments later, instructing Lucas to set a timer for 3 minutes on his phone.

She sat next to him on their bed and instantly grabbed his hand. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her hand. He could tell she was anxious. He tried to distract her from her nerves by asking about her morning with Riley. Before they knew it, his phone was going off. Maya looked at Lucas and stood up, their hands still connected. She had a distinct feeling that their lives were about to change dramatically and she wanted to savor these last moments before they knew. She pulled him off the bed and stood on her tiptoes to reach her arms around his neck. She kissed him softly and when she pulled away, he rested his forehead on hers.

Maya looked up at him. "Ready?"

Lucas just smiled at her and gave her one more quick kiss before pulling away and draping his arm around her waist, eager to find out what the tests said.

As they walked to the bathroom counter where Maya left the tests, Lucas felt Maya tense up beside him. He pulled her closer, pressed a kiss to her head and assured her "no matter what the tests say, we're gonna be just fine, Shortstack." Maya instantly relaxed and reached for the sticks, making sure Lucas couldn't see them yet.

She peered down at the screens, seeing two pink lines on both. Maya kept her expression unreadable, but smirked as she said "looks like you're going to be a daddy, Huckleberry!"

As soon as she finished the sentence, she began to cry (happy tears) and made grabby hands towards her husband. Lucas pulled her in and pressed kisses all over her hair and face. He tried to hide it, but Maya saw the moisture in his eyes as well.

She smiled and wiped a loose tear on his cheek. "This is it, Lucas. There's no going back from here."

Lucas hummed in agreement and looked down at Maya as if she hung the moon. He reached down, placing his hand on her belly and said "I cant believe we're having a little baby shortstack, babe."

Maya smiled up at him and took in this moment like a photograph so she could paint it later. She hugged Lucas tightly and only let go when her stomach growled loud enough for them both to hear. "Oooh, Huckleberry we gotta go, or we are going to miss our lunch date before work!" She smiled, then added I'm thinking a burger and fries, but also a tuna melt and a big brownie for desert."

Lucas just laughed at his wife, grabbed his work bag and reached out his hand letting her know he was ready to go. They walked to his car hand in hand arguing about what was a considered reasonable lunch option. All was exactly how it should be.

Maya's feeling had been right, their lives were about to completely change, and even though her old self would want to run before things even had a chance to go wrong, before her independence would be forever changed now that she had other people to care for besides herself. Despite knowing her journey was rough, she knew that she was loved and secure and she couldn't be more ready for their next adventure.


	3. first big fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first two chapters were so fluffy, I thought I would try to add a little more angst to this one, but true to my M.O., there is a decent amount of fluff in there too. In this story, it is the same universe as the first two chapters. Maya and Lucas are in the spring semester of their junior year of college and have been together for 3 years. I hope you enjoy! As usual, feel free to send me prompts and suggestions. Let me know what you think!

"Please stop following me" Maya snarled at her boyfriend as she walked down the hall to their room and slamming the door. She locked the door and slid down against it, putting her head in her hands stopping the tears from falling and trying to compose herself. Lucas and Maya have been dating for three years and they always bickered like a married couple, but this was completely on a different level. Maya could hear Lucas breathing on the other side of the door, but she chose to continue ignoring him and replay everything that just happened.

earlier that day

"Hey Maya, do you have a second?"

Lucas stayed at the entrance to Maya's art room, knowing that she didn't like to show her work until she was done. She was in the process of painting a series for a prominent gallery owner in the city who was interested in her work. She needed it to be perfect.

"Sure Huckleberry, just a second" Maya replied while finishing the section of the painting she had been working on.

Maya wiped her hands and walked towards Lucas, stopping to kiss his cheek as she reached him. They walked into the kitchen and sat down at the table. Maya could feel the nerves emanating form Lucas, which in turn made her nervous too. Things had been going really well with them lately, or so she thought. She sighed and looked at him expectantly.

"What's up, babe? Are you okay?"

Lucas looked up at her and softened his features.

"Yeah, everything is fine. I just have to ask you something."

Maya was instantly nervous because she could tell he was hesitant. She looked amused and rolled her eyes because despite the pit forming in her stomach, she wanted to seem unaffected by his current state. After all, he hadn't even said anything yet. It was probably nothing.

"I just got off the phone with my dad"

Maya reached over and grabbed his hand before he continued, knowing that the relationship  
between Lucas and his father was hardly functional.

"He asked which vet schools I was applying to and when I only answered Cornell he was less than thrilled" Lucas looked down at his hands and sighed.

Maya and Lucas had been preparing for the inevitable time when Lucas would be applying to vet school. Now that they were nearing the end of their junior year of college, things were getting more serious as he got everything ready to apply. The only vet school in New York was Cornell, and with Maya needing to stay in New York City for her art opportunity, Cornell was really the only option he had seriously considered. As a result, he worked extremely hard in his NYU classes and worked at the vet clinic in their neighborhood to ensure he had the credentials and experience necessary to be basically guaranteed entry to the program. Cornell is in Ithaca, which is about 4 hours outside of the city, which was obviously less than ideal for the couple, especially because Maya potentially had a job with the gallery provided they like the series she was currently working on. But the good news was he only had to be based in Ithaca for 3 out of 4 years of vet school. The 4th year was spent doing rotations, and Cornell had affiliations with lots of different vet clinics, some (thankfully) being in NYC. They had already found express bus lines they could take to spend the weekends together, and possibly longer when Maya was out on commission for pieces.

She could work while Lucas was in class, and even though introducing a little distance into their relationship was scary, they had a plan and they knew their relationship was strong.

But the fact that Lucas' dad was potentially threatening this plan made Maya feel uneasy.

"He didn't make you question your choice, did he?" Maya asked, wincing a little in fear that things were about to change.

Lucas sighed and looked at Maya, while squeezing her hand.

"I know that regardless of what I do, I don't want to be far away from you.."

Maya held her breath because she knew a 'but' was coming.

"But, he did bring up a good point of the risk of only applying to one school…..Maya, he wants me to apply to Texas A&M. He is friends with the Dean of Graduate Admissions and he just wants me to apply there as an option."

Maya stared at her boyfriend stoically while she processed the fact that he is considering applying to a school over 1,600 miles away from her. If she got this gallery deal, there was absolutely no way she could turn it down to move with him to Texas. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and she worked too hard to throw that away. She took her hand from his and looked down in her lap, willing the tears in her eyes to stay there. She didn't want to cry in front of him. It just hurt that he wasn't dismissing his dad's idea. He was actually considering this.

"Lucas, you know if I get this art deal I have to stay in New York…3 years is a long time to be almost 2,000 miles away from each other. It's too far to do weekly visits, so who knows how often we would see each other aside from holidays. And does this school even have the affiliate program where you could transfer to Manhattan for your 4th year?"

Maya took a second to close her eyes and breathe, she was losing her emotional veil that she relied on to minimize the hurt. This relationship was one of the very few things that could break her, and she knew it. If she ever needed a bay window chat with Riley, now was the time. In this moment she resented the fact that Riley went to Princeton, and wouldn't be home to visit for 3 more days. Maya only hoped by then she wouldn't have worse problems to discuss with her best friend.

Lucas looked at her with hurt in his eyes. He hated seeing her upset, even though he knew she was trying desperately to hide it. Normally he wouldn't entertain any of his father's ideas for his life…they didn't have the best relationship. But something about his reasoning stuck out to Lucas and while Cornell was obviously his first choice, he figured there wasn't any harm in applying to a second school. He loved Maya and he believed no amount of distance could change that.

"Yeah…that's another issue, babe. All the rotations are done through the school. There is a 4 week externship that all 4th year students do, and I could probably get them to agree to let me come to NYC. Apparently there is also a 2 week vacation that I would spend up here with you, but unfortunately that is it aside from regular holiday breaks."

He looked up at his girlfriend and saw tears forming in her eyes. She quickly blinked them away, but he knew she was upset.

"Look, Shortstack, I know we had a plan, but I think that this could be a good plan B option for me if for some reason Cornell doesn't work."

At this point Maya was past feeling sad that he was even considering this. She was plain upset.

She knew he would get into Cornell, and she thought he did too. He had straight A's in all the prerequisites, he had more logged clinic hours than they required and he had amazing letters of recommendation lined up.

She could feel herself dissociating, a defense mechanism that she used in her teenage years when it seemed like nothing was within her control.

She got up without saying a word and walked into the living room, knowing that if she stayed she would either raise her voice or cry and she wasn't ready to do either until she knew how she felt. She could feel Lucas looking at her, debating whether it was a good idea to follow her, or let her have some space.

Lucas stared at her sitting on the couch, worried that she was starting to withdrawal like she used to do when they were younger. He could see it in her eyes and it scared him. He knew she might just want to cool off, but something inside him propelled him to walk to the couch and sit with her.

Maya looked at him with teary eyes as he sat beside her. Aside from the tears, her face was completely emotionless.

"Why prolong the obvious, Lucas? If you want to go back to Texas, maybe we just need to call it."

Lucas was completely taken aback by her implication. Before he could control it, his hurt took over and he raised his voice.

"Maya, what the hell are you even talking about? How could you even say that? You don't want to be with me?"

"Lucas, we had a plan and all of a sudden you are threatening to derail it with absolutely no warning." Maya knew she was being a little dramatic, but she was upset.

"If you think spending 3 years apart with minimal time together would actually end well for us, you're delusional."

She looked down at the ground as she said those words knowing that if they hurt her this badly, then he would be hurt by them too.

He looked wounded, but continued, "this isn't a for sure thing. My dad just insisted that I consider it and apply. Cornell is still my first choice. You're my first choice, Shortstack."

Normally a sentence like that would melt Maya's heart, but today it did little to calm the storm currently happening in there.

Maya's issues that she carried with her from childhood all stemmed from being left. Lucas knew that and promised he would never leave. Yet, here he is saying he may have to leave.

Maya glared at him and said, "clearly I'm not, or you wouldn't even be considering this. In fact, why are you? You and your dad don't even get along, yet when he suggests moving across the country you are perfectly okay with it? What the hell, Lucas?"

Maya's voice raised at the end of that sentence, she couldn't help it. This really hurt.

Maya could tell that Lucas was trying to suppress his 'Texas Lucas' tendencies and stay calm.

She knew he would never hurt her, but his temper has always been an area that could use improvement. If she wasn't angry too, she would acknowledge that now was the time to stop arguing and let things cool down. However, in this moment she really didn't care.

Lucas looked at her with hurt in his eyes as he tried to breathe and remain calm. Bringing up his issues with his dad was a low blow and suggesting that he didn't even consider her in his decision making made him angry too. Before his brain could filter his next sentence as a bad idea, he looked at her and said "I don't think you're in any position to bring up my relationship with my dad. You haven't talked to yours since you didn't forgive him when we were in the 8th grade during that forgiveness project."

If there were any unspoken rules in their relationship, the most important was don't use Maya's upbringing or the fact that her father left against her.

Tears streamed down Maya's face as she got off the couch and uttered a "screw you, Lucas" as she walked down the hall towards their bedroom. He got up off the couch and walked towards the hall, when she said "please stop following me" and slammed the door behind her, locking it before sliding down to sit on the floor.

back to present

Maya sat against the door trying to tell herself that he didn't mean to use her father leaving against her. She knew he was just angrily reacting because she brought up his relationship with his dad, but that was a low blow, especially from him. He knew how long it took her to finally get over everything in her past. She was in a really good place now. Her mom was married to Shawn and they both had stable jobs. Between Shawn and Cory Matthews, she was pretty much covered in the father figure department.

Mostly, she was hurt that he was even considering an option that would put so much strain on their relationship. They had a plan, and there had been no talk of deviating from that plan. She wasn't mad at him for entertaining the idea of applying to another school, but did it have to be one that was over 1,600 miles away? She mostly wanted to know if he was truly interested in the program or if he was just trying to please his father. As she stewed over this, she got less angry and was just sad. This was their first big fight and she wasn't a fan of how it felt. But she also didn't really want to be the one who gave in first…

After Maya slammed their bedroom door and told him to stop following her, Lucas quietly walked down the hall towards their bedroom and sat by the door, content to wait till she was ready to talk to him. He felt like a complete ass. The second those harsh words escaped his mouth, he regretted them and knew that he was letting his anger completely take over him. He felt terrible. Yes, she wasn't being as supportive of this plan B as he had hoped, but that gave him no excuse to use her past against her and he knew it. He also knew that he had no real desire to apply to Texas A&M. His father wasn't known as the master manipulator for nothing.

The problem was, Lucas struggled a lot with the pressure to not disappoint his father. After the whole Texas ordeal that caused his mom to move to NYC with him to start over, he couldn't help but feel like his dad was ashamed of him. Their relationship was not the strongest, but when he talked to Lucas about applying to Texas A&M, there was a sense of pride when Lucas said he would think about it. When he heard his father sounding proud of him, he couldn't just pass it up. As he reflected on that, he knew that he needed to explain this to Maya. Thinking about it made him realize how caught off guard she must have felt by his sudden interest in applying so far away from her.

He did a quick internet search on his phone, and knew he was ready to talk it out. Lucas knocked softly on the door, trying not to startle Maya.

"Hey Shortstack, can I come in?"

Lucas heard Maya sniffle on the other side of the door and heard the door unlatch. He slowly got up and opened the door carefully, so as not to hit her in case she was still nearby. He looked up and found her sitting on their bed, with a pillow clutched to her chest. He could tell she had been crying and it broke his heart.

He moved to sit by her on the bed, ignoring his instinct that said not to sit too close to her and let her have some space. He knew sitting this close was probably pushing his luck, so he didn't reach for her hand just yet. He looked at Maya with sadness in his eyes, hating that he felt so nervous around her.

"Babe, I'm going to explain myself, but first I want to say I'm really sorry for what I said about your relationship with your father. That was completely uncalled for, and I let my temper take over and you didn't deserve that. I just need you to know that I didn't mean it."

Maya finally met his gaze with fresh tears in her eyes, but gave him a soft smile and nodded, acknowledging that she believed him. From this, he knew she wanted him to continue before she said anything.

Lucas took a deep breath and turned back to his girlfriend, ready to explain where this all came from.

"What you said wasn't wrong, Maya. My relationship with my dad is far less than ideal. No matter what I do to please him, it all comes back to when I got expelled before I moved to New York. That is all he sees in me." Lucas looked down for a moment and Maya grabbed his hand, intertwining their fingers. She might still be upset, but she knew he needed to know she was there.

He continued, "When he called me earlier to talk about vet school applications since they open in a few weeks, he told me I was playing with fire by only applying to one school since it is so competitive. As soon as he said that, I should have known he had an agenda because my mom had already told him about our plan for Cornell awhile back."

Maya squeezed his hand, signaling for him to keep going.

"After we argued about whether or not it was a good idea for me to even consider A&M as an option, I told him I would think about it. Mostly to get him to lay off, but then he told me he was proud of me." He turned his body to face Maya and repeated, "babe, my dad said he was proud of me for the first time I can remember." He looked down at their hands, sighing.

"I think I've been waiting for that moment for so long, that I would have done anything to keep hearing those words out of his mouth."

Maya's heart broke hearing him explain his side, and she could only imagine how that felt. Sure, she didn't have a relationship with her birth father, but Cory and Shawn had always supported her and let her know that they were proud of her and provided the encouragement she needed to achieve her goals. At this point she leaned her head on his shoulder, waiting a second to see if he had more to say. She knew he didn't like opening up about this, so she wanted to give him the chance to get it all out.

Lucas kissed the top of Maya's head and said, "I'm sorry for springing this on you out of nowhere, Shortstack. You know the last thing I want is to be far away from you."

Maya looked up at her boyfriend and sighed, knowing she was about to get out of her comfort zone and be completely serious about how she was feeling.

"It took me a really long time to let my guard down and know that it was okay to trust you with my heart, Huckleberry. You know, we were friends for a long time before you finally wore me down" Maya said with a smirk.

She continued, "I know you were just reacting out of anger with what you said about my dad, and I forgive you. I was also acting out of anger when I suggested that we shouldn't stay together if you were even considering going back to Texas. The thing about our postgrad plan is it might just map out the next four years or so, but we made it with the idea of forever." Maya looked down at their hands and started playing with his fingers while she continued.

"I think what scared me the most was how easy you made the decision seem for you. You were telling me about it, which I appreciate by the way, but it seemed like you had already made up your mind about applying. Like it wouldn't be hard for you to move to Texas if Cornell didn't work out. While I was sitting there scared as hell because distance is really hard. We are really strong, but are we strong enough to spend the majority of 3-4 years completely apart, basically leading two separate lives with the promise of a FaceTime call once a week? That is a heavy load even for the strongest couples. That is why I got so upset. Because I love you so much, but I don't even know if that alone is enough to combat that kind of distance and time apart."

Lucas took in everything Maya said, proud of her for opening up like that. He knows that it wasn't easy for her to do. Before he said anything, he pulled her into a hug. He needed her to know that he felt terrible for making her feel like he was ready to just leave her behind without any thought. She clutched onto him and he could feel tears soaking his shirt. He rubbed her back, knowing that they were probably leftover tears releasing all the fear she had felt over the past hour of this ordeal. His heart broke because he caused her to feel this way.

After another moment of soaking in Lucas comforting her, Maya leaned back, looking him in the eyes.

"I need you to know that if going to Texas is what is going to make you happy, I don't want to hold you back from that. I mean, we can try to make it work."

Lucas brushed some hair out of her face and replied, "babe, when I was sitting out in the hall, I kept thinking about it and I am just pretty convinced that going back to Texas wont feel like home anymore. You're here, my mom is here. You're my family. This is home."

Maya buried her face in his shoulder and muttered, "you are such a sap, Huckleberry."

He smiled and knew she meant that she felt the same way.

"While I was waiting in the hallway, I did some research on my phone. I know we are set on Cornell with how easy transportation is and the fact that it is in the same state, but I did find a vet school in Massachusetts that I could apply to as a safety too. It's about the same distance from New York City as Ithaca, and I think we could find some decent transportation options since it is closer to us than Boston is. I also noticed that flights are only around $150, so we could even swing that from time to time, especially once you have your fancy artist job."

Maya smirked at him and pulled him in for a kiss. The fact that he did this research to try and find a better way to appease his father and make her happy made her heart melt.

When they pulled away, they rested their foreheads together knowing they just made it through their first big fight.

After they had a moment, Maya pulled away and looked at Lucas with all the light returned to her eyes.

"Hey Lucas, thanks for looking up a closer safety school option. I don't think you'll need a safety, but I am touched that you care enough about our relationship and my feelings to consider a different path than the one your dad suggested. I know that isn't easy for you."

Lucas smiled at his girl and grabbed both her hands.

"It's you and me, Shortstack. I'm sorry I ruined your afternoon."

Maya started softly high fiving their hands and smirked. "I could have done without the theatrics, but now we can say we have successfully survived our first big fight. Riley will be so proud!"

Lucas pulled her up by her hands, grabbed her waist and smiled down at her.

"What do you say we take an ice cream break and finish season 4 of The Office for the rest of the afternoon? Then we can decide if we want to be productive or lazy for the rest of the night from there."

Maya wrapped her arms around his neck and sighed, feeling like a huge weight had just completely disappeared from her shoulders.

"Suggestions like these are why I keep you around, Hopalong. Let's do it!"

Lucas draped his arm around Maya's waist, grabbed their keys and they headed out the door in search of ice cream. They knew they had things to work on and probably more to discuss about future plans, but for the rest of the day they were content to just spend time together and remember why they work so well in the first place.


	4. home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for being so kind about what I have written so far! I posted another double update today to try and catch up with what i've posted on ffnet. As always please feel free to message me suggestions/a particular story you want me to write! I already have another one I have been working on that I will likely upload tomorrow evening. Let me know what you think! :)

Today was finally the day Lucas and Maya had been counting down for the past three years. Lucas was officially done with his third year of vet school at Cornell, which meant that Maya and Lucas would finally be living in the same city again. They have spent the past three years living apart during the week and taking turns commuting to either Ithaca or NYC to spend the weekends with each other. It wasn't necessarily ideal, but they made it work thanks to technology and their good communication skills.

They weren't only going to be back in the same city, but today they were moving into what would be their first apartment as a married couple. Well, they weren't married yet, but in just three weeks they would be walking into their new home as Mr. and Mrs. Friar. They wanted to have everything all moved in and set up before the last minute wedding preparations started happening, so today was the big day. Lucas starts his veterinary clinic rotations/final year of veterinary school two weeks after their wedding, so this was their best chance to get everything done.

Lucas was set to arrive back in New York City with all his stuff on Friday evening, and Maya was eagerly waiting his arrival in their new, completely empty apartment. She had all of her stuff packed in a UHAUL outside, but wanted to wait until her strong-as-a-horse fiancé was back to help her carry everything inside. It had only been a week since she last saw him, but she was still buzzing with excitement at the idea that once he arrived home today, there would be no more tearful goodbyes at the end of every weekend. They had gotten good at distance, but she was more than ready to say goodbye to that season of their relationship.

Maya knew Lucas would arrive any minute, so she was standing at the big window in their new living room watching for his truck to arrive. The second she saw the familiar black truck pull up, she grabbed her keys and took off running out the door and down the stairs to the lobby. The second Lucas walked inside she barreled into him and jumped wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist. Lucas laughed as he caught her and immediately crashed his lips into hers. It had only been a week since they last saw each other, but this reunion felt especially sweet. They pulled away, smiling and pressing their foreheads together.

"Hi Shortstack." Lucas smiled, tightening his arms around her to make sure she didn't slide off of him.

"Hey roomie." Maya smirked, feeling giddy just calling him that. This wasn't the first time they have lived together, but this time felt even more official since they would be married soon.

He snuck another quick kiss and placed Maya back on the ground, grabbing her hand and together they ran towards the stairs to go up to their new apartment. Lucas and Maya did their apartment hunting on the weekends while he was still in school, but he hadn't seen the place since before the previous tenants moved out. They walked into the empty apartment and took it all in.

"Hey babe, I know we talked about at least carrying most of our stuff inside tonight, but how do you feel about just grabbing our overnight essentials and camping out in the living room?"

Maya grinned up at him and said "I'm way ahead of you, Huckleberry."

She went into the kitchen and grabbed a bag that was resting on top of her suitcase. She reached inside, unveiling two pairs of fuzzy socks.

"Babe, it might be the fact that I just spent nearly 5 hours in the car and I'm a little tired, but what exactly do these socks have to do with us camping in the living room?"

Maya smirked and said, "such a Huckleberry. Clearly you've been away from me from far too long. Think about it." She grabbed both of his hands, forcing him to look at her in the eyes.

"Freshly waxed wood floors…an empty apartment with no furniture…brand new fuzzy socks. Do you see where I'm going with this, Cowboy? We are turning this place into a sock skating rink."

Lucas smiled really big and grabbed Maya by the waist, pulling her flush against him.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?"

Maya's eyes flashed with something like affection and she quickly recovered by smirking up at him. "Don't get all sappy on me now. Save that for the blanket fort we are going to build later."

She reached her arms around his neck and kissed him hard, conveying that she felt the exact same way towards him.

She pulled away, breathless and returning to her playful mood she was in before.

They both changed into their new fuzzy socks and skated all around their apartment for quite awhile, laughing and racing around. Maya was letting Lucas pull her down the hallway towards their bedroom, when he tripped and fell backwards, bringing Maya down on top of him. After making sure neither of them were injured, they fell into a fit of laughter and hoped that their downstairs neighbors didn't already hate them for all the noise.

Maya looked up at Lucas to find him staring back at her. She smiled and sat up, straddling him.

"Hey babe, I think we need to set up our blanket fort. Like right now."

Lucas' eyebrows shot up and he set Maya down beside him on the ground. He muttered a quick "be right back, babe!" and ran to his truck to get his overnight bag and the box that he had packed all of his bedding in, in case Maya hadn't brought up all of hers. He ran as quickly as he could back up the stairs and into their apartment.

When Lucas opened the door, he stopped in his tracks at the sight of candles lining the kitchen counter. He looked to the other side of the room and saw his fiancé sitting on the floor, surrounded by cozy pillows and blankets and dressed in a lacy floral print romper that he hadn't ever seen before. Her hair was down and wavy and he is pretty sure he has never seen anything so beautiful in his life. When she smiled up at him, he was absolutely certain that in that moment that he was home. She was his home.

A/N: In case you were wondering what Maya is wearing at the end, go to the anthropologie website and search eberjey wildflower romper :) i tried to link it but it wouldn't let me.  
Also, sorry if that ending seemed abrupt. I don't really feel comfortable writing intimate stuff yet. Okay bye.


	5. you're comfy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I accidentally uploaded in a different order than on ffnet. This chapter is before 'home' on there, but I guess it doesn't really matter since this work kinda jumps around and gives glimpses into different moments in their relationship. Thank you so much for reading these stories! Let me know if you have prompt ideas/suggestions, and as always let me know what you think!

Lazy days were a specialty in the Friar household. Lucas and Maya worked really hard at their jobs, but when they had some downtime, they loved to milk every last second. This was not to say they were the boring married couple of their friend group, they still knew how to have fun and loved to go out with their friends. But ever since Maya found out she was pregnant, she has cherished the days where she could trade the heels and skinny jeans for fuzzy socks, leggings and cuddling up with her husband.

On this particular rainy Saturday, the couple was eager to spend the day doing absolutely nothing because Lucas had just returned from a week away at a big veterinary conference, where he presented research on a new surgical technique he had been working on. The past few months he had been spending a lot of time doing extra work to prepare and keeping up with everything he needed to get done at the clinic. Maya tried to give Lucas the time he needed to get ready without being too needy. But she will say, he did a really good job making sure every craving was taken care of, no matter what time it hit her. He was going to be a great dad.

It was already noon, and Maya and Lucas hadn't even made it out of their bedroom yet. They had stayed up really late catching up once they got home on Friday night, so they were content to fool around and just reconnect after several weeks of space caused by Lucas putting in extra hours at work and Maya finishing a big commission piece for a client.

At 7 months pregnant, Maya was starting to get to the point in her pregnancy where finding a comfortable position was comparable to randomly finding a piece of chocolate in your purse- completely unexpected, but incredibly satisfying when it happened. This morning, she found it laying on her left side next to Lucas, head resting in the space between his shoulder and neck with her right leg laced with his legs. Her belly was big enough at this point that it was resting against Lucas' stomach. They laid together, Maya resting her eyes while they talked about everything and nothing and Lucas soothingly rubbed her stomach thinking about their little girl who would be making an appearance in just a couple months.

"Hey Shortstack, do you think we're ready for Emmy to be here?"

She smiled, hearing Lucas say the nickname for the name they had finally agreed on after lots of back and forth. Emerson Cate Friar was the name they chose, but hearing Lucas call her Emmy made her heart melt. She cursed the hormones that have turned her into such a sap lately and looked at her husband.

"Well, let's see. Her nursery is basically done, all that is left is to hang some stuff on the walls and decide on which rocking chair we want. I have been nesting like crazy and washed all the baby clothes, burp cloths and blankets last week. We have a car seat, a stroller, one of those hot mountain man backpack things you can wear her in when she gets a little older. Let's see, we have diapers, bath accessories, a bassinet to keep in our room while she's waking up a bunch during the night, am I missing anything? We also still have the shower Riley and Topanga are throwing us, where I'm sure we will get more than we need."

Lucas turns his head to kiss Maya's head, impressed at all she was able to rattle off without actually looking through their inventory.

"Wow, we do have a lot of stuff. But I kinda meant in the parent department…Do you think we will know what we are doing?"

Maya grinned at her sweet Huckleberry, reached her arm up and ran her fingers through his hair like she always did when she could tell he was nervous.

"Well, I think that we love her enough already to be confident in the fact that we will figure out how to be the best parents to her along the way. And we have lots of help. We have your mom and my mom and Shawn, Cory and Topanga, Riley and Farkle. Zay and Smackle promised that they would come visit her while she was still a newborn. I know it is scary because this has gone by pretty quickly, but I think once she gets here, instinct will take over. I'm sure we will make mistakes while we are starting out, but that's okay. We get to figure out how to be parents together, Huckleberry. That's the fun part." Maya turned her head slightly to place a light kiss on his neck.

Maya always had the ability to dissipate Lucas' nerves, and this was no exception. He smiled and relaxed back into the pillows, wondering how he got so lucky.

They were back to contentedly resting in the quiet when all of a sudden Maya's stomach growled really loudly. They both laughed and looked at the clock, realizing it was now after 1pm. No wonder she was starving. Lucas started to move, but Maya quickly grabbed his hands and said "please no!"

Lucas looked at her amused, and tilted his head slightly trying to figure out what her problem was.

"Sorry, babe. I don't wanna get up yet, you're comfy and comfy has been hard to achieve lately. I'm not moving."

Lucas smirked and rubbed her belly for emphasis. "Maya, I cant just ignore Emmy's cries for help. You're clearly starving her in there."

Maya smiled big and opened her mouth in mock shock. "Wow, babe. Already using our baby against me and she isn't even here yet."

She shook her head at him and tried to act offended, but the grin never left her face.  
"Lucas, what do the words 'emergency cravings of the week drawer' mean to you?" Maya asked with a mischievous look on her face.

Lucas smiled and remembered the drawer he had set up in their nightstand for the nights he was stuck studying for boards until after she went to bed. He filled it with her most common cravings from the past week, as well as a few wild card items just in case.

He leaned in and kissed her quickly and said "we aren't eating Larabars for lunch today, Shortstack." (Maya's cravings had been surprisingly normal and healthy over the past few weeks, much to both their surprise.)

"I was going to make us some panini's with the new press we got last week…" He was hoping this was enticing enough to convince her to let him move. Instead, she burrowed her face into his neck and clung to him, shaking her head yes and no at the same time.

"I'm guessing that means yes to the panini's and no to moving?" Lucas asked, amused.

"Aw, look at you knowing me so well" Maya said sarcastically, still clutching onto him, making it nearly impossible to move.

"Maya, we were going to have our movie day! We can recreate this exact position on the couch, babe, I promise. But I'm starving, you're starving, Emmy is clearly starving and I think we should go fix that. "

Maya glared at him and rolled over enough for Lucas to get out of bed, knowing her hunger was going to win over comfort.

Lucas chuckled and reached his arms out to help Maya stand up. Once she was up, she went in their bathroom to freshen up a little bit while Lucas went to the kitchen to get lunch started.

Lucas laughed seeing Maya enter the kitchen a few minutes later dressed in a different pair of leggings, fuzzy socks and a cozy oversized sweater than she had been wearing when he left her.  
"Trying to impress me with the new outfit, babe?"

Maya rolled her eyes and muttered a "you wish!" as she got situated at the table.

Lucas brought over their sandwiches and a variety of sliced fruit.

"You're a keeper, Huckleberry." Maya smiled as she grabbed a handful of grapes, suddenly noticing how hungry she was.

They ate in a comfortable silence, eager to curl up on the couch and spend the rest of the day watching as many movies as they could stay awake for.

Lucas told Maya to go warm up the couch while he cleaned up the kitchen. Maya took that opportunity to grab all the soft blankets from the basket in the corner of the living room and make the couch as cozy as possible, this nesting thing was translating into all aspects of her life, apparently. Lucas came in to the living room with their usual basket of movie snacks as well as a tray of his famous cookies. Maya sat up with her jaw dropped and pointed to the tray.

"Are those what I think they are?!" Lucas looked at his wife's manic expression and laughed.

"If you mean is this a batch of my super secret recipe cookies, then yes it is."

Maya immediately made grabby hands towards him, indicating that these cookies were coming to the couch with him.

"How did I not know you made these? The smell of them baking is my favorite smell! I would have known!" Maya was beside herself.

Lucas laughed and explained that he made them right before she got back from the gallery the night before, and made sure he had dinner cooking when she got home to mask the smell. He wanted them to be a movie marathon surprise.

Once Lucas sat down he handed Maya a cookie and after devouring it, she wrapped her arms around her husbands waist and kissed his cheek. "I'm so lucky."

"Who's the sap now, Shortstack?" Lucas said with a smirk. Maya smiled at him with a gleam in her eye and pushed him off the couch and onto the floor, causing both of them to die laughing.

Lucas climbed back on the couch and they tried to replicate the comfy position they had been in before they got out of bed to eat lunch. Once they were situated and surrounded by pillows and blankets, Lucas started messing with the remote to pick out their first movie of the day. Maya ran her fingers through his hair and hummed contentedly. Everything was exactly how it should be and she couldn't be happier.


	6. the talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I was finding it a little challenging to keep track of Maya and Lucas' relationship timeline in these stories and kept almost screwing things up timeline wise while writing, so I wrote it out. Here it is in case you want to keep track as well:
> 
> Started Dating : Summer before college (ages 17 and 18)  
> Got engaged : Year 3 of vet school (ages 24 and 25)  
> Got married: June, before Year 4 of vet school (ages 25 and 26)  
> Found out they were having a baby: August of the first year Lucas is a fully licensed vet aka like 3ish months after this particular chapter takes place (ages 26 and 27)  
> Anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter! As always, let me know what you think! And message me if you have any prompt ideas! :)

It was the night of their first anniversary as a married couple. Sure, they had been together for around 9 years at that point, but something about it being their first wedding anniversary made it feel extra special for them. Maya and Lucas had both had the day off, so they spent the entire day doing all of their favorite things. They made it a priority to hit all of their favorite places in the city. The ice cream shop where they went on their first date, the bench in Washington Square Park where they had their first kiss and a lot of important conversations, as well as some shops and cafés that they frequent together. It was a perfect day. That night Lucas planned a surprise picnic in Central Park, which his mom had set up for them before they arrived.  
Maya made fun of him for being cliché, but even her best sarcasm couldn't mask the fact that her heart absolutely melted at the sight of everything laid out in front of them.  
She turned to her husband and wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered in his ear,

"Huckleberry, you are getting so lucky tonight."

After their really romantic dinner and a night full of Maya staying true to her word, Lucas and Maya were fast asleep, tangled together.

Maya woke up in the middle of the night, wide awake and briefly disoriented, but smiled to herself when she realized where she was.

Maya stared at Lucas sleeping next to her and thought about how soft and relaxed he looked in his sleep. She really didn't want to disturb that, but she also knew she wasn't going back to sleep any time soon.

"Hey Huckleberry?"

A moment passed, and Lucas stirred but didn't quite wake up.

Maya turned in his arms to face him and kissed his shoulder. Still nothing.  
She started peppering kisses all over his shoulders neck and face, trying to get him to wake up.

"Luuuuuucaaaaaaasssssss, babe? Wake upppppppp!"

Finally Lucas began to wake up. He opened his eyes and squinted at Maya groggily.

"You okay Shortstack? What time is it?"

"That's not important! I can't sleep. And seeing as it has been exactly one year since our wedding night, I thought we should both be able to not sleep together." Maya smirked at him sweetly, trying to convince him.

"You do realize that now since it's past midnight, it isn't even our anniversary anymore, right?"

Maya rolled her eyes. "Minor details, babe. You're just grumpy because I woke you up! Aren't you flattered that out of all the things I could be doing while laying here awake I want to be talking to you?! I could be making to do lists for next week, thinking of things for you to fix around the apartment, making our grocery list for Sunday, texting Riley a bunch of silly things to wake up to. But, no. I chose you."

Lucas grinned at her and kissed the top of her head. "Can't argue with that, babe. So is this little pow wow for any particular reason, or did you just want me to suffer your insomnia with you?"

Maya stared at him for a second, trying to figure out how to ask the question that has been on her mind for the past few days.

"A little bit of both, actually. Lucas, do you ever think about us starting a family? Like I know that we have always just kind of assumed we would one day…but do you ever think about when?" Maya used to have a hard time opening up and being vulnerable, but she has been with Lucas for so long, she didn't feel any hesitation asking him something like this. Just a little nervous.

Lucas looked down at her trying to decipher how serious she was. He didn't want to fall into any of her traps and end up getting made fun of. As far as he could tell, she was completely sincere.

Running his fingers through her hair, he replied "Honestly? I think about starting a family with you all the time, babe. I mean, I don't really think there is any rush. We've only been married for a year. But I definitely want some mini Shortstacks running around here someday. What made you start thinking about it?"

Maya laid her head on his chest and smiled. "That's sweet, babe. And I don't know. I just keep catching myself watching moms pushing strollers down the street and noticing the baby section in the store and seeing dads carrying their toddlers to the park, and sometimes it makes me wonder what it would be like if we took that step. At least at some point. Think about a little baby huckleberry with your green eyes and my wavy blonde hair. Doesn't that just make you want to melt?"

Lucas laughed, continuing to run his fingers through Maya's hair. "Looks like someone might have baby fever." Lucas teased with a smirk, "But in all seriousness, all of that does sound really nice. Are you trying to say you want to start trying now? Which I'm fully supportive of, by the way…" He trailed off not wanting to seem too eager or too indifferent about the topic, not knowing what her answer would be. The last thing he wanted was to say the wrong thing during such a serious conversation topic.

Maya looked up at Lucas, thinking. "I don't think there is any rush to start trying. I think I would maybe define it as not trying, but not…not trying? Like I said, there is no rush. I'm really happy where we are right now."

Lucas looked amused. "So basically, we aren't actively trying, but we aren't going to continue preventing it from happening?"

"Bingo, Cowboy…. That is, if that's what you want too." She said, feeling a little vulnerable.

"We've been married a year, we have a nice place with 2 extra bedrooms, you have an amazing job and I'm starting to get the hang of being a full time vet. We have lots of support from family and friends. I think we could handle it, babe. Starting a family is definitely something I want to do with you at some point in the next few years."

Maya blushed and hid her face under Lucas' arm to hide the grin threatening to take over her face. She couldn't believe they were actually talking about doing this.

Lucas rubbed her back and sighed. "Isn't it kind of crazy that we are old enough to be thinking about having kids and stuff?"

Maya thought about it for a second and smirked. "Totally. The fact that Riley and Farkle aren't even married yet makes it weirder. Who would have ever thought we would end up the first people in our friend group to get married and discuss having kids?"

"Probably everyone who knew us in high school and college, actually."

"You do have a point there, Cowboy."

"I will be honest and say that I never thought this would be my life when I was younger." She felt Lucas tense a little bit underneath her, nervous that she was having a hard time with her past. She used to struggle with the thought that she didn't deserve good things, especially when it came to love.

Maya continued, "But, I couldn't have asked for it to turn out better."

Lucas sighed in relief and kissed the top of her her head. Maya looked up at him and leaned in, meeting his lips halfway and kissing him deeply.

Things started to heat up between them and Maya broke away, breathing heavily.  
"Hey Huckleberry, wanna start practicing right now?"

Lucas' eyes widened and he quickly flipped them over so he was hovering over Maya, staring down at her with pure contentment in his eyes.

Maya giggled and put her arms so that they were pressed against his shoulders, with her hands poised and ready to pull him down towards her.

"Did you know that you're the coolest wife around?"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cowboy. Let's get this show on the road." Maya said impatiently, but with a gleam in her eye and a grin that showed him she was completely joking.

He smiled down at her and wasted no time crashing his lips into hers, ready to start whatever journey life was going to throw at them.

A/N: I'm sorry, I had a really hard time with the ending for this. I just came up with Maya waking lucas in the middle of the night and it turned to this. Let me know what you think


	7. roomies?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I got a request to write about Lucas asking Maya to move in with him when they were in college, so this is what I came up with! I also got a request to write about when Maya has the baby, which I have started on. It is longgggg already. Would you guys rather I post it in parts? Or just post the whole thing at once? Also, when I first started this whole thing I didn't expect to write all the stories in the same universe, so I have written and posted everything outside of chronological order...I kind of like the glimpses into their lives, but does that bother anyone? Would you rather I put them in order of when they happened and update in order from now on? Let me know! As always, send me any requests/ideas and let me know what you think! :) Thanks again for reading!

It was sophomore year of college and Maya was at a really good place in her life. She had been dating Lucas for almost 2 years, she had a job on campus as a TA for an intro art class and she had a nice roommate who she got along with. When she wasn't working on her own class work, her artwork, her TA duties or skyping with Riley at Princeton, she was spending pretty much every spare second with her favorite Cowboy. They were usually content to do homework together and cuddle up watch movies, but they also loved to go out and be social.

Maya left her afternoon class and started heading to her apartment. She knew Lucas wanted to hang out later, but he said he would text her when he made it back to his place so they could make a plan. She was mentally making a pro/con list about whether or not she should take a quick nap while she was waiting to hear from Lucas, when her phone chimed and drew her out of her thoughts.

From: Huckleberry

Hey babe! Brian is staying out tonight, so I thought we could take advantage. Do you want to come over and we can do a blanket fort picnic dinner with takeout and then we can stay in and watch movies or something low key after? If you'd rather go out that's cool with me too. Just let me know. Love you.

Maya felt so grateful upon reading his text. She wasn't a homebody by any means, but tonight nothing sounded better than spending some quality time with her boyfriend. They spend a lot of time together, but a lot of that time is spent focusing on school work, so it was nice when they got to just have a night to themselves with no distractions.

From: Shortstack

That sounds perfect, babe. I'm going to change and pack a bag. See you in like 30ish minutes? Love you too.

Even though they were spending the night in, she didn't want to show up in the clothes she had thrown on carelessly for her morning class earlier that day. Instead she opted for her comfiest pair of skinny jeans, black heeled booties and a cute but cozy grey sweater. She went in the bathroom and touched up her hair and makeup a little bit too.

Maya quickly packed her favorite loungewear set to sleep in as well as her overnight toiletries and an outfit to wear the next day. She also double checked to make sure she was wearing decent lingerie for later that night. She sent Lucas a quick text saying she was about to leave. Once she was all set, she put on her coat and grabbed her bag, keys and phone and headed out the door.

The walk to Lucas' dorm was super easy and short, definitely not a trek Maya minded making alone. But upon exiting her building, she saw her Huckleberry boyfriend waiting outside to walk with her to his dorm. Maya walked over to him with her arms outstretched and pulled him into a hug as soon as she reached him, resting her head against his chest. He chuckled and kissed the top of her head.

"Hey Shortstack. Let me take your bag."

Maya squeezed him before she let go and handed him her small duffle bag. As soon as it was secured on his shoulder, he reached for her hand.

"You didn't have to walk over here to walk with me! But thank you for doing it anyway."

Lucas smiled at her and squeezed her hand, letting her know that it was no big deal.

"I didn't want you to have to walk alone. Also I wanted to see you." He gave her a sheepish grin.

Maya wanted to make fun of him for being a sap, but she felt that familiar tug in her chest that happened entirely too often when Lucas was around.

She smiled up at him and squeezed his hand back. "That feeling was mutual, Ranger Rick."

After catching up about their days for several moments, they reached Lucas' dorm.

Upon walking in, Maya gasped. Lucas had built a cozy and elaborate blanket fort that filled most of his living room. He also had the lights dimmed with candles lit and scattered all over the room. Maya turned around and looked at him with wide eyes. "Babe, what is all of this? I thought we were just having a lazy night!"

Lucas grabbed her hips and pulled her to him so that they were standing almost flush against each other.

"Don't worry, we are definitely having our lazy night. I just wanted it to make it special."

She grinned up at him and wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss.

When they pulled away, he took her hand and pulled her into the kitchen, where he had set up an assortment of Mexican food, namely tacos and chimichangas. All of Maya's favorites.

Her jaw dropped and she looked at him with nothing but love in her eyes.

"Damn Huckleberry, are you just trying to get laid tonight?" Maya said with a gleam in her eye, always eager to tease him in every situation.

Lucas' eyes darkened and he smirked at his girlfriend, grabbing her hand.

"I will be honest and say that may have been a motivating afterthought while I was getting this ready, but that is definitely not my sole reason for doing this. I promise. Patience is a virtue, babe."

Maya furrowed her eyebrows, suddenly desperate to know what he was up to. But first, tacos.

Maya and Lucas brought their plates full of food to the blanket fort and turned on a random season of Friends.

Once they finished eating, Lucas took their plates to the kitchen and came back with a dish of his famous homemade cookies. Maya looked at him with her jaw dropped and pointed to the plate.

"You made my favorite cookies too? Babe, what is this?" Her gaze darkened. "Did you cheat on me or something?" She was joking, but couldn't think of why he was going to all this extra effort for a lazy night in.

Lucas' eyes widened and he shook his head adamantly and sat back down facing Maya.

"That wasn't a serious question, right Shortstack? You know I would never do that. And I know you well enough to know that a romantic night in wouldn't fix the damage. But like I said. Never gonna happen, babe."

He set the plate of cookies in front of them knowing that Maya wouldn't want to wait until he was done with what he had to say. He was suddenly nervous, but he was hoping that was irrational.

Maya looked satisfied with his answer, grabbed a cookie and then looked at him expectantly.

Lucas looked at the floor and then up at his girlfriend smiling and grabbed her hands. "So, I have been thinking a lot lately and first of all I just want to tell you that you make me so happy, Maya. I don't want to be cheesy, but the past 2 years with you have been so incredible. It is nice that in this world of college where a lot of things aren't exactly certain when it comes to our futures, I don't have to worry about me and you. I love you." Lucas visibly gulped and continued, "Will you move in with me this summer?"

While Lucas was talking, Maya was a perfect halfway mix between melting at his words and panicking that he was about to propose. She knew she would end up marrying him someday, but she was content with the college and post college plan they had made for their lives, and that plan did not include getting engaged while they were both still so young. When he finally spit out the question about moving in with him, Maya was filled with relief and so much excitement. Truthfully, she hadn't thought a lot about housing for next year. She wasn't one to think crazily ahead, but she knew Lucas was thorough and wanted to be sure they got a good place that worked well for them location wise and she figured he wanted ample time to search.

She caught herself lost in her thoughts and forced herself to snap out of it. Maya ignored the instinct to tease him for thinking so far in advance and being a sap. She squeezed his hands, pulling them towards her so that he was leaning close enough for her to place a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Of course I will move in with you, Lucas."

As soon as she answered, he felt all of the tension leave his body. He wasn't sure why he was so nervous, but now he could let himself enjoy the moment. He smiled at her and pulled her hands towards him. Maya climbed onto his lap, straddling him. Lucas trailed his hands down her sides until they reached her waist. They both leaned in and let themselves get a little carried away.

They spent the rest of the night cuddled up in the blanket fort eating cookies, watching movies, denying Maya's constant requests to adopt a puppy now that they were going to live off campus and daydreaming about what it would be like when they got to do this every night.


	8. baby time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So, I was asked to write about Maya having the baby and it turned into the longest chapter I have written by far. I have been writing this for several days, and I really hope it turned out okay! Please let me know what you think! Also, as always send me any requests/ideas you have. Enjoy!

It was 2am on a warm night in May. Maya and Lucas both had crazy weeks and had gone to bed pretty early. Unfortunately for Maya, she was 39 weeks pregnant, and sleep was getting harder and harder to come by. She didn't mind it much. She knew she could have the baby any day now and sleep would definitely be scarce once their daughter arrived. This particular bout of insomnia was not caused by discomfort. Nope. This was the all too familiar pang of hunger that had the ability to wake Maya from the deepest sleep, even when her body desperately needed the rest. Maya was going to wake Lucas and ask him to get her a snack, but she was feeling kind of restless and crampy and she wanted to walk around. Also, he looked so peaceful, she hated to take away what could end up being one of his last good nights of sleep for awhile. She snuck out of bed as gracefully as she could manage, but her belly was big enough to make doing anything gracefully quite the challenge. She waddled to the kitchen, hoping to find something to satisfy her hunger.   
Lucas made it a point throughout Maya's whole pregnancy to keep their pantry and fridge stocked with everything she loved/potential random cravings she might have.

At this moment she was very grateful for his random craving predictions that he kept around just in case because spreading cookie butter on oreos sounded like the best thing she could possibly imagine in that moment. The only slight issue was Lucas sometimes unloaded groceries without thinking and put things on higher shelves. Maya was already short, and reaching those high shelves became extra difficult with her current stage of pregnancy. She hopped and grabbed the jar, excited that she got it on her first try, when suddenly her landing caused her to drop the glass jar onto the floor. Maya gasped and felt tears prick her eyes. She wanted the cookie butter so badly, but now it was just a mess on the floor. Maya, far past feeling shame to satisfy a craving got up and grabbed the oreos and a butter knife and returned to the floor where the cookie butter spilled. There were still tears streaming down her face because her hormones were going insane, but she didn't care. She just wanted her oreos.  
Lucas came barreling into the kitchen. He had heard the crash of the glass and woke up to find Maya's side of the bed empty. He was scared she was hurt. What he saw upon entering the kitchen was his very pregnant wife sitting on the floor crying while scooping cookie butter from a broken jar onto oreos. Lucas immediately crossed the kitchen and knelt down next to her, touching her shoulder.

"Babe, are you okay? What happened? Why are you crying?"

Maya wiped the tears from her eyes, shaking her head and sniffling.

"I just wanted to dip some oreos in cookie butter, but the cookie butter was up high, so I jumped because I didn't want to wake you, but then it fell on the floor and then I started crying because of these damn hormones, and I decided to just eat the cookies with the germ ridden cookie butter anyway because I was starving."

Lucas pulled her backwards a little where she was leaning against him and wrapped his arms around her, placing his hands on her stomach. He couldn't help but chuckle a little, but he was very aware of her reaction because he didn't want to upset her even further.

"Babe, it's okay. I'm sorry I put it up too high, I wasn't even thinking. Do you want to go back to bed? I will clean this mess up and then come join you?"

Maya leaned back so that her head was resting on his shoulder and wiped a few stray tears on her cheeks .

"I don't want you to have to clean my mess, babe. I can help."

"Maya, it's fine. You need to get as much sleep as possible while you still can. I've got this."

Maya sat up and turned towards Lucas, kissing him on the cheek and then on the lips.  
"Thanks, Huckleberry. Don't be long though, okay?"

Lucas promised he would hurry and Maya headed back towards their bedroom, only stopping when she realized she was spilling her water on herself. Wait….she. thought. I didn't bring my glass of water…

"Uh, Lucas…..Can you come here please?"

Lucas walked down the hallway and froze. There stood Maya over a puddle of water on the wood floor.

"Maya…is that what I think it is or did you spill something?"

"Babe…..I think my water just broke."

Lucas stood there looking at his wife, completely paralyzed. They were so prepared for this moment, but now that it was happening he didn't know what to do.

"Don't just stand there, Huckleberry! Go grab the hospital bag while I go change really quickly."

Before she moved to go change, she grabbed his hand and pulled him to her. She kissed him chastely and wrapped her arms around his stomach to hug him, resting her head on his chest.

"We're about to be parents, babe. She's really coming." Lucas smiled down at his wife and kissed the top of her head, cherishing what would possibly be the last sweet moment they shared until after the baby was born. If he knew his wife at all, he knew he would be the one blamed once the more intense contractions started kicking in.

Maya grunted in pain and clutched her swollen belly, breaking the moment and reminding them that they needed to get ready to leave the apartment.

"You okay, babe?"

"Yeah, that one wasn't too strong, but we should probably get going before that changes."

Maya started heading towards the bedroom to change into some dry clothes. Once she was dressed, she grabbed her sneakers and realized she needed help tying them.

"Hey Lucas, can you come tie my shoes, babe?"

Another stronger contraction hit Maya and when Lucas entered their bedroom he found Maya sitting on their bed doubled over with her eyes closed and breathing deeply.

Lucas walked over and sat next to her, rubbing her back while she rode out the pain. Maya reached out and grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. He looked down at his watch to make sure he could document the amount of time between each contraction.

Maya released a deep breath when the contraction was over. "Shit, Lucas that one was kind of bad. We should get going."

Lucas nodded and crouched down at Mayas feet to tie her shoes so they could leave.

Once he was done, he stood up and grabbed her hands to help pull her up. He put his arm around her back as he put the hospital duffle bag over his other shoulder and started leading her towards the front door.

"When you were changing, I finished cleaning up the mess in the kitchen and called your mom and Shawn. She said to call once we see our doctor. Shawn said they were ready to leave at a moments notice. My mom said basically the same thing. It is totally up to you when we call them though. I don't want you to feel crowded."

Maya grinned to herself, appreciating that he knew she might want to experience part of this with just the two of them.

"I also texted Riley and Farkle, just to let them know but they haven't responded. Just say the word and I will use the emergency baby pager they gave us."

At this point they made it to Lucas' car. Lucas helped Maya inside before putting their duffle in the backseat and climbing into the front seat and driving to the hospital.

"Thanks for doing all of th- son of a bitch!" Maya winced as she held her stomach and leaned forward, closed her eyes and tried to focus on anything except the searing pain she was feeling in that moment.

Lucas reached past the console and intertwined their fingers so she could squeeze his hand. After a moment, he felt her loosen her grip on his hand. He glanced at the clock and noticed it has been about 9 minutes since her last contraction. He was relieved that they were only about 3 minutes away from the hospital.

"Sorry about that, thank you for contacting everyone, babe. I want everyone here, but I also want to spend some of the time just with you, if that is okay."

Lucas glanced over at her, grinning, and noticed that she was rubbing her stomach, which he had observed as a nervous habit she developed.

"Maya, what's the matter?" he rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand as he turned into the hospital parking garage and pulled over to the valet, not wanting Maya to have to walk the distance from the car to the entrance.

Maya looked over at him as he stopped the car and unraveled their fingers so she could get out of the car. Lucas hurried over to her side of the car to help her. When he reached out his hands to help her step down from the truck, she squeezed it and said, "I'm okay, Huckleberry. Just thinking."

Lucas nodded his head, acknowledging that she didn't want to discuss it at the moment. Filing it back to bring up again later, he helped her into the awaiting wheelchair and began to push her towards the labor and delivery desk several yards away.

"My wife, Maya Hart is in labor. She is 39 weeks along. Her contractions have been somewhat irregular, but between 7 and 10 minutes apart and her water broke at home. I called right before we left the house."

The receptionist was amused at Lucas' obvious slight panic, but nodded and pulled out a wheelchair for Maya and waved at him to follow her. Lucas carefully pushed Maya down the hall to room 20013, which would be their home for the next few days.

Once they made it to the room, Maya was told to change into the provided hospital gown- much to her dismay, while Lucas looked through the duffle bag to grab Maya's cozy socks, her soft blanket and pillow, her sketch pad she liked to keep handy and some pencils, their phone chargers and a few other miscellaneous items he thought might make her feel more comfortable. Maya emerged in the hospital gown, grumbling about how it was bad enough that she had to endure the pain childbirth, but then they made her wear a ridiculous gown to top it all off.

Lucas chuckled and helped her into the bed, making sure she had everything she needed around her. He kissed the top of her head and sat down in the chair beside her.

A few nurses came and hooked Maya up to the monitors that would record contractions as well as the baby's heartbeat.

As soon as they left, Maya tried her best to get comfortable in the lumpy hospital bed.  
There was a knock on the door and they turned their heads to see Dr. Morgan, Maya's OB/GYN.  
"Hi Friar clan! I hear someone's baby girl is ready to make her entrance!"

Maya managed a polite smile and made a joke about how that better be the case or she was having a serious acid reflux problem.

Dr. Morgan checked on Maya's progress, acknowledging that her water had in fact fully broken at their apartment.

"Well Maya, it looks like you are in fact in early labor. You are about 2.5 centimeters dilated. Things are looking great and the baby's heartbeat is strong. This could be a long process, so try and get some rest while the contractions are still somewhat spaced apart and manageable."

After making sure Maya and Lucas didn't have any questions, Dr. Morgan excused herself and promised she would be back to check on them again in about an hour, unless she was needed sooner.

Lucas started running his fingers through Maya's hair when he felt her tense up. She closed her eyes and reached out for his hand, squeezing it a little. He continued to run his fingers through her hair with his other hand, hoping it felt good enough to at least somewhat distract her from the pain. After a moment or two, Maya released a deep breath and looked at him.

"That one wasn't too bad. Can you put my hair up in a bun for me, babe?"

Lucas smiled down at her and made his way to the other side of her bed and asked if he could sit down for a moment, she scooted forward and let him settle behind her so he could be at the best angle to fix the bun the way she liked. After being with Maya for so long, Lucas basically knew how to do most of the hairstyles Maya liked. She made him learn how to braid, French braid and make the perfect top knot. The skill came in handy especially at times like this, when her energy was being focused on exiting a tiny human child from her body.

When Lucas finished the bun and got Maya's approval, he started to get off of the bed so she could spread out. She grabbed his arm and said, "Can you stay up here and scratch my arm so I can fall asleep? I know I probably won't like you in a few hours, so we should soak up the time we have before our family and friends come."

Lucas laughed at her honesty and turned so that he was laying down directly behind her. He started running his fingers up and down her arm, and he felt her relax. He was so proud of his wife in that moment. By looking at the monitor he could tell that a contraction was happening, but she hardly even flinched. After several minutes her breathing slowed a little, indicating that she had dosed off, so Lucas allowed himself to close his eyes too.

Maya woke up about an hour later feeling somewhat rested and a lot more uncomfortable than she had been when she fell asleep. She turned her head to see if Lucas was awake and smiled when she saw him sleeping with his mouth hanging open, snoring softly. She didn't want to wake him and she didn't really feel like falling back asleep, so she grabbed her sketchbook off the side table and began to draw.

She felt Lucas stir beside her and she turned to face him.

"Hey sleepy head."

Lucas smiled at her and said "What are you doing awake?"

Maya looked over at him with a gleam in her eye and replied, "Oh, you know, just evicting our child from my body."

He playfully rolled his eyes at her sassy response and kissed her on the nose.

Several hours passed with little change in terms of progress. Maya was now at around 5cm and things were getting a little more intense. Lucas contacted their family and decided now was the time to use the baby pager Riley and Farkle gave them because they thought it would be more fun than a phone call.

Maya was strong and was working hard to seem tougher than she was feeling. Lucas saw right through the act, though.

"Babe, getting an epidural doesn't make you weak. I know you wanted to do this naturally, but if you want to change your mind, I'm fully supportive of that." He stroked her arm and quickly added, "Not that you need my permission. I'm just saying. It's your body and it is completely your choice."

Maya both hated and loved that he knew her so well in that moment.

"Huckleberry, I have a reputation to maintain." Maya pouted, only half kidding.  
Lucas smiled down at her, knowing that she needed to make the decision on her own.  
"Wanna take a walk, Shortstack? Moving around a little bit might help?"

Maya nodded and reached out her hands so Lucas could help her out of bed. They began walking the halls slowly. Maya held onto Lucas' arms and when she had a contraction, they were consistently happening around every 4 minutes, she would hold (squeeze) both of his arms while hiding her face in his chest. He rubbed her back until they ended and they kept walking. On what was probably their 8th lap of the labor and delivery floor, they ran into Maya's mom, Shawn and Lucas' mom. They fussed over Maya momentarily before Lucas went all protective daddy bear on them and kindly told them to give her some space.

'Thank you' Maya mouthed to him and squeezed his hand. She was obviously very happy to see her family at this moment, but she wasn't exactly feeling great, so she didn't really want them all over her. The whole group made their way slowly back to Maya's room to get settled. When they neared the door she stopped in her tracks and doubled over, feeling what was definitely her strongest contraction yet. Lucas turned to face her and she automatically grabbed onto his arms and burrowed herself into his chest, seeking whatever comfort and relief she could. He soothingly rubbed her back and whispered in her hair until the pain subsided about 45 seconds later.

"Okay, ow." Maya said flatly. "That one is definitely the winner so far."

Lucas felt completely helpless. He wanted so badly to be able to do more than just rub her back. He kissed the top of her head and helped her back into the room.

Once they were back in the hospital room for awhile, Riley and Farkle showed up.

Riley bounded to Maya's bed screaming "Peachesssssss!" and talking a mile a minute, asking question after question. Maya attempted a smile, but it came out more as a grimace, but she managed some of her signature bite in her response.

"Hey honey. I'm great. You know, just preparing to birth a human child."  
Riley shook her head fondly and smiled at her best friend, grabbing a seat on the other side of Maya's bed.

Over the past hour, Maya had been experiencing much more intense contractions and they were getting closer together. She hadn't given into an epidural yet, and she was reaching the point of no return. There was only a certain window of labor when you could safely receive the epidural. Lucas was very aware that window was closing, but he didn't want to be pushy. He just placed a kiss on her head and continued to tell her to use him as a punching bag whenever necessary.

Maya was in the middle of a particularly rough contraction when Dr. Morgan knocked on the door as she entered the room. Lucas tried to reach for her hand and she slapped it away and exclaimed "Don't you dare touch me! You did this to me!" without even looking at him. He tried not to let the hurt show in his eyes, but he couldn't help but hate the feeling of her not wanting him to help. Little did he know, every tiny thing happening in that room was driving her crazy due to the pain and she just couldn't think of any more pressure being placed on her skin in that moment.

Dr. Morgan approached Maya's bed and began checking the monitors to check on the baby's heartbeat. "Wow, Maya. That was a big contraction according to this monitor. How are you doing?"

"That one was definitely one of the worst and longest contractions I have had so far."

"Alright, let me check to see if there has been any progress since the last time I checked you. But based on the intensity and length of that contraction, I'm going to guess you're in transitional labor."

Maya gulped. She recognized that term from one of the parenting classes she took with Lucas a couple of weeks ago. It was the final stage of labor.

Dr. Morgan examined Maya and announced, "As I suspected, you are 8.5 centimeters dilated. The rest of your labor is probably going to go fairly quickly now. I will be back to check on you every 10 minutes or so. In the mean time, do whatever you can to stay comfortable."

Maya loved having everyone she loved in that room, but she couldn't help but want to be with Lucas alone for a few minutes. They were about to become parents. Their entire world was about to change.

Before she could open her mouth to say something, she felt a searing pain and let out a yelp of pain. This time without hesitation, she reached out for Lucas' hand. She squeezed it harder than she has all day. It hurt like hell, but he didn't mind because he knew she had it much, much worse. He used his other hand to rub her back. About a minute later it was over and she knew she wouldn't have long before the next one hit. They were coming every 2-3 minutes at this point.

"Hey guys, I really love you all. But do you think Huckleberry and I can have some time alone?" She smiled sweetly at everyone, really hoping they would understand.

Everyone obliged and said their goodbyes to the couple, knowing they wouldn't be back in the room until a certain little Friar baby made her appearance.

Lucas looked over at Maya, happy that they had a moment, only to have his hand grabbed and squeezed like crazy. This time he for sure heard a pop. Maya cursed and hoped Lucas didn't notice the tear that managed to escape her eye.

When it finally let up, she slumped back into the pillows and shut her eyes. Lucas continued to quietly comfort Maya, until he noticed another tear fall down her cheek.

"Babe, are you having another contraction?"

Maya shook her head, sniffled and looked over at him, knowing Lucas would immediately notice the fear in her eyes. He did.

"Maya, it's okay. I know this is scary. But you are so ready for this. You are the strongest person I know and within the next hour or so we will have a daughter. I know this part sucks, I can't even pretend to know how much it does. But I know you and I know that you are going to kick childbirth's ass. It's all going to be worth it once you see Emmy's face. That and those amazing hormones that will take over and make you forget all of this awful stuff." He said the last part with a grin, just trying to get a laugh out of her.

Maya managed a small giggle before another big contraction hit. This time, she spared Lucas' hand and grabbed onto the rails of her bed and trying to just ride it out. When it finally subsided she looked over at Lucas and said, "Thanks for saying all of that, Huckleberry. Also sorry I yelled at you earlier. It was the pain talking. Everything is just about to change and I know we are ready for this baby, but it's scary. I'm excited though."

Lucas grabbed her hand and Dr. Morgan came into the room just as another contraction hit.  
Maya cursed and did her best to remain somewhat composed until it passed. "Okay, I really feel like I need to push."

Dr. Morgan checked Maya and looked pleased. "Maya, it looks like you're at a full 10 centimeters, so that is why you're feeling the urge to push. Give me a few minutes and we will get you moved to a delivery room."

Maya looked over at her husband, smiling but fear was still evident in her features.

"Are you ready to be a daddy, Huckleberry?"

"You bet, Shortstack."

Lucas leaned over the side of her bed and kissed her head, cheek and lips.

"You've labored like a champ, Maya. I'm so proud of you. You're almost done."

Maya nodded and managed a smile, hoping the next part would go by quickly so she could just finally see her baby.

After 16 hours of labor and an hour of pushing (and actually mildly fracturing Lucas' hand from squeezing it so hard), Emerson Cate Friar finally made her appearance.

Dr. Morgan let Lucas cut the cord and then she took a screaming Emmy to get weighed and cleaned off. A moment later, she brought the pink bundle over to the bed and handed her to Maya. 

"You have a very healthy baby girl, Maya. She is 6 pounds and 7 ounces and measures in at 19.5 inches long. Congratulations Friars! Do you have a name picked out?"

Maya nodded. "Her name is Emerson Cate – with a C- Friar."

"That is beautiful. I will give you guys a few minutes alone and we will come back to move you guys back to your room."

Tears fell down Maya's cheeks as she stared at her baby girl for the first time. Emmy's crying subsided almost immediately after being placed into Maya's arms. She was so perfect.

Lucas kept his hand on Maya's arm as he stared at his girls in complete amazement.

"Maya, babe, she's so beautiful. She looks just like you." He leaned down and kissed both Emmy and Maya's foreheads.

Maya smiled up at him and said "After the events of the past 9 months, I would say that I deserve for her to be my mini me. But I'm not entirely convinced her eyes will stay blue. I see some flecks of green. You might win that one, Huckleberry."

Lucas smiled and continued to stare at both girls, his eyes a little moist.

"Hey Emmy, wanna go see your daddy? I think he wants to hold you." Maya cooed at her baby.

She then looked over at Lucas, quirking her brow seeing if he wanted to take the baby.

Lucas smiled and reached down to grab the bundle from Maya's arms. "Hi Emmy girl, I'm your daddy. And this is your beautiful mommy. You look just like her." He kissed Emmy's nose and proceeded to stare at her.

Maya reached up and rubbed Emmy's cheek, swooning at the way Lucas was looking at the baby. She knew he was already wrapped around her little finger.

"Hey, back off sister. He's mine."

Lucas grinned down at Maya and leaned down to give her a kiss.

"Thanks for giving us a family, babe."

Maya smiled up at him, and couldn't help but think how good he looked holding their tiny baby.

Once they were settled back into their regular room, Maya was exhausted, and holding a sleeping Emmy in her arms. She reached out her free arm and made grabby hands towards Lucas, indicating that she wanted him to climb into the hospital bed with her. Lucas grinned and carefully slid in next to her, trying not to move the bed and jostle a very sore Maya or the baby. Once he was settled next to them, Maya laid her head on his shoulder and traced her finger along the baby's cheek.

"Huckleberry, we made her."

Lucas turned his head towards Maya and kissed the top of her head. "I know, I can't believe she is actually here. She's perfect. Just like her mommy."

Just as they fell into a comfortable silence listening to Emmy make sweet snuffling noises, they heard a knock on the door.

Maya braced herself for the chaos that was about to enter their quiet, peaceful bubble.

"Come in!" Maya called with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. Lucas started to get up and she shot him a look, causing him to immediately sink back into the pillows.

Maya's mom and Shawn, Mrs. Friar, Riley, Farkle and Riley's parents all entered the room.  
Maya's mom and Lucas' mom both burst into tears and rambled excitedly upon seeing Maya holding the tiny pink bundle. Riley sprinted to Maya's bedside and had tears in her eyes as well.

"Peaches, you're a mommy. You did so good! She's beautiful! And she looks just like you!"

Maya smiled at her best friend. "Thanks Riles. She is pretty cute, isn't she?"

Everyone spent the next hour and a half taking turns holding the baby and congratulating the new family of 3. Despite the chaos in the room, Maya fell asleep on Lucas' shoulder. Their friends and family noticed and wanted to give the new family some time to rest. Riley handed Emmy back to Lucas and they all whispered their goodbyes.

Lucas looked down at the sleeping baby on his chest and his beautiful wife sleeping on his shoulder, and couldn't help but feel absolutely overwhelmed by the amount of love he felt for them.

About 20 minutes later, Riley snuck back in the room to grab Farkle's phone that got left behind, when she saw all 3 Friars fast asleep in the hospital bed. Knowing what a precious moment that was, she snapped a picture and quietly snuck back out into the hallway, feeling so proud of the life that her best friend had created for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh guys sorry this was so long….I just kinda went crazy once I started writing. Let me know what you think! Also do you want me to continue writing these stories, or do you think this was a good close? I have gotten a few prompt requests, but I just wanted to see what your thoughts are.


	9. the name game

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WOW GUYS, I'm so sorry I've been MIA from both my stories. It's not for a lack of trying. I have been crazy busy the past few weeks and every time I try to write, I have issues with where I want things to go, etc. That is mostly for the our little secret series. I really wasn't sure if I would add onto this at all, but I got several requests and picking the baby's name was one of them, so I literally just wrote this tonight out of nowhere. It's short, but I hope it's okay! I have about 2000 words written for the next OLS chapter, so HOPEFULLY I will figure out where I want to end it and have that uploaded soon. One last thing, I have no problem with the name Eleanor, I actually think it's kinda cute. I just needed a name Maya could make fun of, so sorry if that offends anyone :/ Let me know what you think!

"What about Eleanor and we can call her Ellie?"

Maya craned her neck to glare at her husband. "You want to name our tiny baby daughter Eleanor? Luke, that sounds like an old lady!"

Lucas rubbed his face and sighed. "Babe, we are never going to agree on a name. We have known we are having a girl for a month now and still can't choose."

Maya leaned into his side and let out a deep breath. "I know. We really are being picky. But we kind of should be picky, you know? This is a big deal."

Lucas stroked his hand up and down her arm and continued flipping through the baby name book with the other hand. Maya mindlessly rubbed her belly while she tried to think of a name they would both like.

"What about Emma? It's kind of popular, but not crazy common anymore. And we could call her Em and Emmy too."

Lucas thought about it for a second. "I like the nicknames, but I don't really like Emma…I think we are getting warmer though."

"Wait, Lucas, this might be a longshot, but what about the name Emerson? We could call her Emmy, but it's still unique and different. And hold on…" Maya started typing into her phone. "Babe, it means brave and powerful. I really like it. What do you think?"

Before Lucas could reply, Maya's hand shot to her stomach. "Maya, is everything okay?"

"Yes, she just kicked the crap out of me. I think she likes the name. Don't you, Emmy?" she cooed at her stomach.

This earned Maya another kick. She grabbed Lucas' hand and placed it on her baby bump to let him feel.

"Okay, Huckleberry, what were you saying?"

"Before this one interjected, I was going to say that I actually really love the name Emerson. I like that it has a strong meaning and that it isn't something 5 other girls in her class someday will have. I also think calling her Emmy is really sweet."

Maya squealed excitedly. "Did we just name our baby?"

Lucas turned towards Maya and pecked her on the lips. "I think we did."

Maya wrapped her arms around his neck and crashed her lips into his, overcome with how special this moment was for them. Obviously they had been doing a lot of things around their house to prepare for the baby, but now that they had a name for her, things felt even more real.

After a moment, they pulled away, still in a state of complete happiness.

"Hey Maya, how about Kate for her middle name? Like for your mom. I think Kathryn would be too long, but Kate could still work as a tribute, don't you think?"

Whether it was the hormones or her sweet husband, she wasn't sure, but her eyes welled up with tears upon hearing him say that.

"Have I ever told you how amazing you are? Emerson and Kate sound great together. But can we spell it C-A-T-E? I think the initials ECF are better than EKF and that spelling also makes it a little more unique?"

Lucas smiled at Maya and nodded, "it's perfect, babe."

"Emerson Cate Friar. It took us forever to choose a name, but I'd say it was worth the wait."

Lucas intertwined their fingers and squeezed her hand. "I was actually worried we would be in the hospital introducing our friends and family to our nameless baby because we would never agree on something."

Maya laughed and lightly elbowed him. "Do you have no faith in me, Huckleberry?"

"I'm pretty sure there's only one right answer to this question and that is I have all the faith in you in the world."

Maya rolled her eyes. "So this is fun, and emotional and everything. But how about some dinner? Emmy's starving."

Lucas felt an unfamiliar pang in his chest upon hearing Maya call their baby by her name. He smiled at his wife, and breathed out a laugh. "Alright, what does Emmy want then?"

"Two words."

Together they both recited "Paco's Tacos."

Lucas smiled. "So, am I going to be taking the journey to Paco's alone or do you want to come too?"

"Well, Huckleberry, you see, I have been partaking in the strenuous process of growing a child all day, so you know, I was kind of thinking a pre-dinner nap might be something that needs to happen." Maya smiled sweetly at him, knowing he would be totally okay with it.

Lucas got off the couch and crossed the room to grab Maya's favorite cozy blanket. She smiled at him and spread out on the couch so he could drape it over her.

"I'll be back in half an hour. Text or call me if you have any amendments to your order, babe." Lucas leaned down and kissed Maya on top of the head.

Maya burrowed herself deeper into the couch, trying to get comfortable. "I will, but get an extra order of guacamole, okay?"

"Sure thing, Shortstack. Sleep tight."

Maya smiled and watched him leave, still so at peace over the fact that they had chosen the baby's name and that it had such a special meaning. She fell asleep thinking about how excited her mom would be about Emmy's middle name and how to prevent Riley from purchasing any and everything with a monogram option now that they knew the baby's initials.


	10. anything you want

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i wrote this a few weeks ago when i should have been studying and decided to post it! i wasn't going to continue this story but i had a request for overwhelmed new parents lucaya, so here you go! :) let me know what you think!

The past month of the Friar’s life had been an absolute whirlwind. Adjusting to being parents was every bit as difficult and rewarding as they had imagined, and then some. Maya and Lucas had been together for a really long time, and she could say with absolute certainty that she had never loved Lucas as deeply as she did now that she has seen him as a daddy. Watching him interact with their daughter was easily her favorite thing. For such a big guy, he was so gentle and careful with Emmy. It absolutely melted her.

The couple’s family and friends had been really helpful during this time, especially in the first few weeks. They sent over meals and offered to take care of the baby so the new parents could get a nap in. Maya and Lucas were very thankful for the help, but they were also eager to get into some sort of routine on their own, just the 3 of them. Maya has always been fiercely independent, and this new stage of her life was proving to be no different.

Lucas was really concerned with Maya and making sure she was taking care of herself. The blonde was always known for putting everyone’s needs before her own, and once she had her baby that only seemed to increase. She was such a good mom already. Anyone who knew Maya could tell you that she loves sleep almost as much as she loves tacos...which is a lot. In fact, she prided herself on being able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere at any time of day. Once Emmy came into the picture, her will to sleep didn’t even come close to her need to make sure the baby and Lucas were taken care of.

It was mid-afternoon and Maya was seated in a rather uncomfortable position on the couch. Unfortunately, this was the only position she could manage to find that Emmy didn’t hate and she was far too desperate to fight it. Emmy was a really good baby, but they were still having trouble getting her to nap anywhere that wasn’t Maya or Lucas’ arms. Maya wasn’t at the point where she could stand hearing her baby cry knowing that she just wanted to be near her mommy and daddy. 

Lucas quietly walked into the apartment around 3:30, finally home from work, to find his wife sitting sideways on the sofa. She was slightly hunched over and quietly humming and rocking Emmy. He smiled at the sight until he heard Maya sniffling. He immediately shut the door and dropped his work bag and made his way to the couch, sitting behind Maya so she could lean back into him. He ran his hands down her arms and placed a kiss on her shoulder. 

“Babe, what’s the matter? Are you okay?”

Maya sighed and relaxed against Lucas. 

“I’m okay, it’s just I got stuck in this weird position because it was the only way I could get Emmy to calm down. I was just thinking about it and I don’t think I’ve really slept more than 3 hours at a time since she was born and I really need to shower and I realized that I haven’t painted anything in over a month and I think it all just got to me, you know?”

She took in a shaky breath and wiped a stray tear on her cheek. “I really have no reason to be upset, I think I just got overwhelmed sitting here just thinking about it all since I left my phone in the baby’s room.”

Lucas continued to soothingly run his hands up and down Maya’s arms, waiting for her to finish speaking. He felt so bad that he got to spend 6 hours out of the house each day since he went back to work, leaving Maya to handle everything on her own. Despite his protests, Maya insisted on getting up with the baby for most of the really late feeds so he could get enough sleep to function at work. He tried to pick up extra slack when he was home in the evenings to compensate, but it broke his heart to see how overwhelmed she was.

“Babe,” Lucas cooed, “Why don’t you give me the baby and you can go take a nap, or paint, or do whatever you want to do for a few hours? I’ve got her. I’ll also take care of dinner tonight. Please don’t be upset.”

Maya breathed a small laugh and attempted to turn her body towards Lucas without disrupting Emmy, who was sleeping away in her arms. 

“Huckleberry, you are my favorite boy in the world.”

She leaned down, placing a kiss on the baby’s head and carefully placed her onto Lucas’ chest. Emmy stirred, but was instantly comforted by her daddy’s familiar touch.

Maya leaned over and pressed a kiss on Lucas’ lips and murmured an “I love you” against them.

She carefully got up off the couch, retrieved her phone from the baby’s room and made her way to the bedroom down the hall. As soon as Maya’s head hit the pillow, she thought of a million things that she needed to. She couldn’t stop. She grabbed her phone to jot down a few things she wanted to get done for work so that she wouldn’t forget and sighed, wishing she could turn her brain off for just a little bit.

Wrapping her favorite fuzzy blanket around herself, she made her way back into the living room, where she found Lucas quietly talking to their sleeping daughter. She lingered in the hallway, realizing he was talking about her. 

“….and she has this ability to love all the things about you that you would never think of as worthy. She’s amazing at painting, but did you know she sings too? She’s really humble about it, but I swear she has the voice of an angel. I can already tell you’re gonna be just like her.”

Maya felt that all too familiar tug at her heart that only Lucas could create. She made her way back to the couch and immediately snuggled into his side without a word. He lifted his arm up so that she could get comfortable and she wrapped her left arm around his waist, careful not to disturb the baby.

Lucas’ hand immediately went to Maya’s hair and he began to play with it. “Couldn’t sleep?”

Maya sniffled and shook her head. “I couldn’t turn off my brain. I kept thinking of things I needed to do and things I needed to tell you, like the fact that I need to wake up in an hour to feed Emmy again- like no later than 4:30 please, and that today she did her first social smile and just that I missed you. This seemed like the best solution.”

The slides of Lucas’ mouth turned up in a grin, taking in all that Maya was saying. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head and continued to run his fingers through her hair. 

“I missed you guys too. Trust me. I want to hear all about your day, but try to take a nap, okay, babe? I’ll wake you when it’s time to feed Emmy again.”

Maya nodded and balled her hand in Lucas’ shirt, letting herself relax and drift into sleep almost immediately. 

Lucas soaked up that hour of time when both Maya and Emmy were asleep on him, knowing this moment in time is something he would want to remember. He sort of wanted to dose off too, but he couldn’t stop thinking about how most of the work had fallen on Maya’s shoulders over the past week since he went back to work. He really wanted to work on alleviating that from this point on, so he spent that time thinking of ways he could start that night.

He knew that Maya had several bottles ready in the fridge at all times so that Lucas could help with feedings. He also knew Maya preferred to feed the baby herself if she was able to, but she looked so peaceful and he hated to wake her up. As far as dinner, he would order delivery from her favorite Chinese restaurant so he wouldn’t have to leave Maya alone with the baby to go pick something up. At this point in the newborn stage, Emmy was still waking up every 2 hours to eat, which didn’t give Maya very long stretches of time to do much of anything else, but Lucas wanted to make the most of it. Around 4:20 when Emmy started to wake up, Lucas carefully loosened Maya’s grip on his shirt and gently placed his hand under her head to support her neck. He stood up and placed a throw pillow under her head and made sure she was covered by the blanket. He couldn’t help but melt a little bit at the fact that none of that movement even caused her to stir. She was so tired.

He cradled the baby and couldn’t help but smile at her coos as she woke up.  
“Hi Emmy girl, did you have a good nap? We’re gonna go in the kitchen to eat so mommy can keep sleeping.” He whispered as he bounced his baby girl. 

He danced them into the kitchen so he could heat up her bottle and tried using silly voices and faces to see if she would smile for him. 

Just as the bottle warmer beeped that it was ready for the bottle to be inserted, Lucas felt Maya’s arms wrap around his waist from behind.

“Aw, babe, I’m sorry if we woke you. I was trying to let you sleep a little longer.”

Maya pressed a kiss to his back and squeezed a little tighter. “And I love you for that, Huck, but I told you. One hour! Give me my baby!”

Lucas laughed and turned around, moving his arm toward Maya so she could take the baby.

Maya scooped Emmy out of Lucas’ arms and leaned into his side. 

“Hi baby girl, did you have a nice nap with daddy? Mommy got to take a nap too, can you believe it?” She traced her finger over the baby’s cheek, still unable to believe she and Lucas made this tiny, perfect little girl. 

“Can you show your daddy what we learned today? Can you give him a big smile for me?” 

Maya made a funny face and kissed Emmy’s cheek and that is all it took for the baby’s face to erupt in a huge smile. Emerson had Maya’s fuller lips, but her grin was a carbon copy of Lucas’.

Maya looked up at her husband with a glint in her eye. “Recognize that smile, Huckleberry?”

Lucas smiled down at the baby in amazement, positive that he’s never loved anything the way he already loves her. He pressed a kiss to Maya’s head and pulled her closer to him, knowing that he’s never loved her more either. 

“I might be biased, but we made a really cute kid, Shortstack. My office is basically a shrine already and she’s only a month old.”

Maya giggled and nudged Lucas with her shoulder. “It was only a matter of time before you became that dad. Such a Huckleberry thing to do.” 

Lucas rolled his eyes, thinking about how he could totally bring up the amount of baby related Instagram posts Maya has made since Emmy was born, but then decided against it for his own good. Instead, he moved to get the freshly heated bottle from the counter. 

“Okay, I’ll feed the baby and you can go paint, or take some time to relax? I never get to feed her since she still kinda relies on you for that.”

“Ooooh, if you don’t mind, I think I’ll take you up on that and go shower.” Maya smirked, “Wish you could join me.”

Lucas sputtered a laugh as he cradled their baby and leaned over to kiss the top of Maya’s head and winked. “Only two more weeks, babe. Okay, I’ll finish feeding Emmy and get her situated. You go shower. I’ll order Royal Dragon for dinner and then we can spend some time together just us until Emmy’s next feeding. How does that sound?”

“Whoa! Dinner and time with just you?! Sounds good to me. I love this little lady of ours, but she’s kind of a time suck.”

Lucas looked at his wife fondly, “I miss you too, Shortstack.” 

Maya cheekily blew him a kiss as she made her way down the hall, feeling extra thankful she fell in love with her best friend. 

About 30 minutes later Maya emerged with wavy wet hair, clothed in a pair of cozy leggings and one of Lucas’ old shirts that she stole ages ago. She loved sleeping in them. She walked into the kitchen to find Lucas setting their dinner on the table with no Emmy in sight. 

“Hey Luke, where’s the baby?” Maya whispered, just in case she was nearby.

“You will never believe this, but she is actually asleep in her bassinet. I moved it out of our room and into the living room by the window. She liked the noise.”

Maya turned to look in the living room with her mouth agape. She reached her hand out for a high five, and afterward Lucas grabbed it and pulled her in for a hug. 

Maya rested her chin on his chest and looked up at him with something like adoration in her eyes. “Thank you for everything tonight, babe. I’m sorry I broke down earlier I was just tired. I love our new little life.”

Lucas looked down at her fondly and used his thumbs to stroke up and down from the spot his hands rested on her lower back. “You have nothing to apologize for. I’m just sorry you felt overwhelmed in the first place. You’re not in this alone and I’m sorry if it has felt like that at all since I went back to work.”

Maya held onto his biceps and lifted onto her tippy toes to press a kiss to his lips. “I promise it hasn’t. I love you and this little moment we are having, but can we eat now? I’m starving.”

Lucas chuckled, resting his forehead against his wife’s. “Anything you want.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry if that ending seemed abrupt! i was going to continue it, but then i re-read it and actually liked it ending there because i was afraid if i continued on it would kind of drag. hope you liked it and thanks so much for reading! :)


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